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HomeMy WebLinkAbout030107 January 6, 2003 Hagerstown, Maryland Commissioners Kercheval, Munson, and Nipps met at the Emergency Services Department from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon to discuss the operations of the Department and to tour the facility. January 7, 2003 Hagerstown, Maryland The regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Washington County, Maryland, was called to order at 8:45 a.m. by President Gregory I. Snook with the following members present: Vice President William J. Wivell and Commissioners James F. Kercheval, John C. Munson, and Doris J. Nipps. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Invocation was delivered by Commissioner Snook, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag by the full assemblage. INTRODUCTION OF NEW EMPLOYEES Jodi Ebersole, Benefits Administrator, introduced new County employee Keith Beaver (Correctional Deputy). The Commissioners welcomed Deputy Beaver and wished him well in his new position. COMMISSIONERS’ REPORTS AND COMMENTS Commissioner Munson reported on the meetings of the Board of Directors of the Agricultural Education Center and the Hagerstown/Eastern Panhandle Metropolitan Planning Organization. He also reported on citizen concerns at a new development on Maugansville Road. He suggested that the Commissioners send a letter of thanks to the Highways Department for their work during the recent snowstorms. Commissioner Munson also asked that the Commissioners consider lifting the moratorium that was imposed on large residential developments. Commissioner Nipps reported on the meetings of the Recreation & Parks Board and the Airport Advisory Commission. Commissioner Kercheval informed the Commissioners that he attended the Williamsport Ambulance Service awards banquet. He also reported on the meetings of the Board of Directors of the Public Golf Corporation and the Planning Commission. The Commissioners discussed whether to include provisions in the Zoning Ordinance that towers must be removed if they are no longer in use. Commissioner Kercheval reminded the Board that the joint rezoning hearing is scheduled for January 13. He informed the Commissioners that he attended the Chamber of Commerce meeting this week that included discussions of City/County water and sewer issues. Commissioner Wivell informed the Commissioners that he and Councilwoman Penny Nigh toured Frederick County’s central booking facility. He stated that he has been meeting with City representatives to negotiate water and sewer issues and that he would be meeting with the Mayor and City Council tonight to provide an update on the negotiations. He informed the Commissioners that a representative from the Department of Business & Economic Development would be at the next Chamber of Commerce “Eggs and Issues” breakfast. Commissioner Snook informed the Commissioners that he met with representatives of Aviation Resources regarding the fixed base operation lease at the Hagerstown Regional Airport. He also spoke to a retired carpenters group. Commissioner Snook stated that he met with representatives from the Independent Cement Corporation regarding the tire burning program they are considering implementing and the land they are donating for development of a park. He informed the Commissioners that the Western Maryland Hospital received the 2002 Governor’s Quality Achievement Award. The Commissioners discussed a request asking that the County revisit its decision not to tax campgrounds through the hotel rental tax. He also informed them of a letter he received from Alpha Associates regarding their permit to remove water from the Potomac River for a project they are working on in Morgan County, West Virginia. Commissioner Snook stated that the Barrack Advisory Committee would be meeting January 8. JANUARY 7, 2003 PAGE TWO He stated that he received a petition from citizens in the Pen Mar area who are not interested in connecting to a public water system. REPORTS FROM COUNTY STAFF Gary Rohrer, Director of Public Works, informed the Commissioners that he met with officials from the Washington County Hospital regarding traffic issues that must be addressed at the proposed site of the new hospital. Mr. Rohrer stated that he and Pete Loewenheim met with citizens regarding the Lambs Knoll tower issue. He informed the Commissioners that the Solid Waste Department would be accepting Christmas trees for recycling through the end of January. Mr. Rohrer also gave an update on the snow removal budget. He stated that 62% of the snow removal budget has been used to date. WASHINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE PROMOTIONS The Commissioners held a ceremony to honor promotions at the Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Mades promoted Mark S. Faith to the rank of First Sergeant. He then reviewed First Sergeant Faith’s history with the Department. First Sergeant Faith was presented with his new badge by his wife Dianne. The following individuals were promoted to the rank of Corporal: James L. Cooper, Jr., James R. Grimm, Sr., Christopher S. Howard, Robert W. Whittington (Patrol Division), and Paul D. Boyer (Judicial Division). Each deputy was presented with a new badge by members of their family. The Commissioners congratulated the deputies on their promotions and thanked them for their dedication and hard work. ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT PROJECT MANAGER POSITION Alan Davis, Human Resources Director, and Terry McGee, Chief Engineer, met with the Commissioners to request authorization to begin recruitment to fill the Engineering Project Manager (Grade 11) position. Mr. Davis stated that the recent death of Allen House had left a vacancy at this position. Mr. McGee provided information on the duties performed by the project manager and indicated that the position is critical to the operations of his department. He explained the delay that would occur on construction projects and Federal Aid bridge projects if the vacancy is not filled. Mr. Davis informed the Commissioners that the Grade 11 compensation range is $32,391 to $51,825. After discussion, it was the consensus of the Commissioners to authorize staff to begin recruitment to fill the Project Manager vacancy. Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Nipps, to authorize filling the vacant Project Manager position in the Engineering Department. Unanimously approved. REQUEST FOR USE OF COMMUTER BUS – FRIENDS OF THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT STATE PARK AND CONTINGENCY FUND APPROPRIATION Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Kercheval, to approve the request of the Friends of Washington Monument State Park to utilize County Commuter buses for the “Cherry Pie Hike” fundraiser for the Park and to approve up to $200 from the Commissioners’ contingency fund to reimburse the Transportation Department for the cost. Unanimously approved. CITIZENS PARTICIPATION John Himes requested assistance from the Sheriff’s Department regarding a broken gate on his property. Mr. Himes alleged that a house built in his area did not have to abide by the same regulations as he did when he built his home. He requested that some of the Commissioners visit the property. COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR’S COMMENTS Rodney Shoop, County Administrator, informed the Commissioners that the schedule for budget presentations would be distributed to them in the near future. He stated that $3,581 and over 850 pounds of food were collected by employees for Casual Day events in 2002. Mr. Shoop informed the Board that Washington County received a strong A-1 bond rating from Moody’s rating agency. Mr. Shoop provided an update on the status of the JANUARY 7, 2003 PAGE THREE organizational study and stated that development of the request for proposal would begin in the near future. He also reminded the Commissioners that the Maryland Association of Counties Winter Conference is January 9-11 in Annapolis. REVIEW OF VISION STATEMENT, MISSION STATEMENT AND 2002 GOALS Rodney Shoop, County Administrator, reviewed the process used to update the County’s strategic plan. He also reviewed the current vision and mission statements. Staff members reviewed the following 2002 goals and the action plans associated with each goal: 1) Adopt the revised Comprehensive Plan. 2) Update the County Employee Classification and Compensation Plan. 3) Evaluate and initiate the revision of the Emergency Operations Plan. 4) Evaluate county services in order to update the Strategic Plan. 5) Develop a plan to update the Emergency and Local Government Radio Communications Systems. 6) Develop Joint Policies to increase the Urban Tax Base. 7) Develop a business plan for Pretreatment. 8) In collaboration with the Board of Education, develop a plan for a world class school system. Mr. Shoop also outlined the four-year initiatives developed by the previous Board of County Commissioners. He indicated that he would be working with the Commissioners to develop their four-year initiatives and 2003 goals. After discussion, the Commissioners agreed to place Goal #4 regarding update of the strategic plan on hold but to proceed with minor revisions of the vision and mission statements and development of 2003 goals and four-year initiatives. RECESS – LUNCH The Commissioners recessed at 12:09 p.m. for lunch. AFTERNOON SESSION The afternoon session was called to order at 1:19 p.m. by President Gregory I. Snook, with the following members present: Vice President William J. Wivell and Commissioners James Kercheval, John Munson, and Doris Nipps. CONTRACT AWARD – MARYLAND’S STATEWIDE SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SSTAP) – TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Nipps, to award the contract to provide services to the Washington County Public Transportation Department for Maryland’s Statewide Special Transportation Assistance Program (SSTAP) to Turner Van Service based on their proposal and the negotiated amendment for Alternate No. 1 (additional cost per trip for a “wheel chair lift equipped vehicle”) of $25 per trip with a one-trip minimum per day based on a 30-day month in the amount of $750 per month, for a one-year contract with an option to renew for up to four (4) additional consecutive one-year periods, not to exceed the State grant of $161,522. The Commissioners also asked that staff explore whether this program could be extended to individuals in other programs. Unanimously approved. PROPOSED FY 2003 LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES – INCREASING COUNTY REVENUES WITHOUT INCREASING PROPERTY TAXES The Commissioners continued discussions on proposed legislative initiatives for increasing County revenues without increasing property taxes. Richard Douglas, County Attorney, provided a comparison of various statutes in other counties and explained the differences between impact fees and excise taxes and the manners in which they can be utilized. Debra Bastian, Director of Finance, reviewed revenue estimates for the transfer and excise tax options. Commissioner Kercheval stated that he feels that revenues from any of the options should be dedicated for a specified purpose. After discussion, each of the Commissioners indicated their preference of which option to request from the Delegation. Commissioner Munson stated that he would not support any of the options discussed for any new taxes. The Commissioners asked Ms. Bastian for additional information on how the taxes would affect the sale price of a home from $100,000 - $250,000 at an 80-90% debt range at current rates. They also agreed that they would obtain additional JANUARY 7, 2003 PAGE FOUR information from their counterparts at the upcoming Maryland Association of Counties Winter Conference before making a final decision. Commissioner Snook urged the Board to decide in a timely manner since the request must be made to the local delegation. They agreed to schedule time on next week’s agenda for further discussions on these issues. ANIMAL CONTROL AUTHORITY ISSUES Dr. Daniel Murphy, Gerald Ditto, Kelly Boyer, and Ron Myers, members of the Animal Control Authority, were present to discuss the activities of the group during the past year. Dr. Murphy stated that many of the concerns they hear are “neighbor against neighbor” cases. He provided a listing of the cases heard by them over the past year. He also emphasized the need for additional follow-up procedures with the Humane Society, Permits & Inspections Office, and the Treasurer’s office to determine whether the fines assessed were collected and actions enforced. Dr. Murphy stated that further enforcement might be necessary if they find that a decision has not been enforced. Ms. Boyer outlined the procedures used by the Authority. She stated that although they decide the cases they feel they don’t have any authority to enforce them. The Commissioners suggested that they include the name of a contact person in the decision to ensure that follow- up inspections are made after the violation has been found. The Authority also discussed proposed revisions to the Animal Control Ordinance that would make it more workable. They also recommended that the forms be updated. The County Attorney stated that they would do this in conjunction with the Humane Society. The Humane Society also agreed to work on a new model for dog licensing. The Commissioners informed them that they have asked the local delegation to the General Assembly to address the weaknesses in the State law. The Authority expressed concerns about the overpopulation of cats and the lack of regulation. The Commissioners thanked the Authority for the presentation and indicated that they would address the concerns they raised. CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION Motion made by Commissioner Nipps, seconded by Munson, to convene in closed session at 3:43 p.m. to discuss personnel issues, consult with counsel to obtain legal advice, consult with staff to discuss pending and potential litigation, and consider a matter that concerns a proposal for a business or industrial organization to locate, expand, or remain in the State, in accordance with Section 10-508 of the State Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. Unanimously approved. RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Nipps, to reconvene in open session at 4:39 p.m. Unanimously approved. In closed session, the Commissioners discussed two (2) personnel issues, consulted with counsel to obtain legal advice on two (2) matters, consulted with staff to discuss pending and potential litigation, and considered a matter that concerns a proposal for a business or industrial organization to locate, expand, or remain in the State. Present during closed session were Commissioners Gregory I. Snook, William J. Wivell, James F. Kercheval, John C. Munson, and Doris J. Nipps. Also present at various times were Rodney Shoop, County Administrator; Richard Douglas, County Attorney; John Martirano, Assistant County Attorney; Joni Bittner, County Clerk; Dr. Daniel Murphy, Gerald Ditto, Kelly Boyer, and Ronald Myers, members of the Animal Control Authority; Timothy Troxell, Director of the Economic Development Commission (EDC); and Cassandra Latimer, EDC Marketing Specialist. APPOINTMENT – PUBLIC GOLF CORPORATION Motion made by Commissioner Wivell, seconded by Kercheval, to appoint Ron Vitkun to the Board of Directors of the Public Golf Corporation for a three-year term. Unanimously approved. JANUARY 7, 2003 PAGE FIVE REAPPOINTMENTS – ANIMAL CONTROL AUTHORITY Motion made by Commissioner Munson, seconded by Wivell, to reappoint Gerald Ditto and Ronald Myers to the Animal Control Authority for three-year terms. Unanimously approved. ADJOURNMENT Motion made by Commissioner Kercheval, seconded by Munson, to adjourn at 4:40 p.m. Unanimously approved. , County Administrator , County Attorney ___________________________, County Clerk